Fork.



S. B. WILLIAMS.

FORK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. I915.

Patented Feb. 22,1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. WILLIAMS, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

FORK.

Specification of l 'ietters Patent.

Application filed April 30, 1915. Serial No. 24,992.

To all whom it may coacer'n Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. \VILLIAMS,

" citizen of the United States, residing at St.

Paul, in the county of Ramsey and Stateof Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Forks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention also has for its object to provide a structure whichenables the attachment to be readily applied to any ordinary fork without modifying'the structure of the latter. 1

' IVith the herein stated objects in view, the

invention consists in a combination andarrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which a per- -a handle 7.

spective view of the device is shown.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes the prongs of the fork, the same having an elongated shank 6 provided with On the prongs is slidably mounted a push' plate 8, said plate having 4 eyes 9 through which the prongs loosely pass. This plate is normally positioned near the inner ends of the prongs and'upo-n advancing the same, the meat or other article stuck on the prongs is pushed off the same.

The plate 8 is operated by a rod 10 fastened to the back of the same and extending rearward along the, back of the shank 6 toward the handle 7, and in spaced relation to said shank. On the butt end of the shank is mounted a slide .11 having an upstanding perforated ear 12 through whichthe rear end of the rod passes. On the forward end of the shank is a guide car 13 for the cor-v responding end of the rod, said ear having a perforation through which the rod loosely passes and in which it is guided. The perforations in the ears are located to suitably space the rod from the shank.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Between the ears 12 and 13 a spring 14 is coiled around the rod 10, and behind the ear 12 the rod has a head or enlargement 15 abutting against said ear. Thev car 12 is therefore located between the head 15 and the rear end of the spring, the forward end of the spring bearing against the car 13.

Between the slide 11 and the ear 13, the

shank 6 has an abutment 16 for limiting the forward movement of the slide.

The spring 14 normally holds the plate 8 retracted, and upon pushing forward against the head 15, the slide 11 and the' rod move forward to advance the plate along the prongs 5 toward the outer ends thereof for the purpose stated. Upon releasing'the head 15, the spring returns the parts to their normal retracted position. The attachment is easy. to operate, the thumb of the hand which grips the handle 7 being free to push against the head 15 to advance the plate 8 as described.

I claim The combination with a forkcomprising a handle, a shank carried by the handle and prongs at'the outer end of the shank; of'a push plate slidably-mounted on the prongs,

said plate having eyes through which the prongs loosely pass, a rod connected to the backof the plate and extending rearward along the shank toward the handle, a slide 'mounted on the shank, said slide having an outstanding perforated ear through which the rod passes, a head on the rear end of the rod abutting against the car, an outstanding perforated ear on the shank through which the forward end of the rod passes, and a spring coiled around the rod between the ears for holding the rod normally retracted.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL B. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

LOUIS M. HASTINGS, SARA E. KRIHA. 

